Slicing devices are known in the prior art and are typically used for cutting and slicing foodstuff such as meat, cheese, bread, fruits and vegetables. Typically, such devices generally comprise a frame coupled to a blade in one of several well-known configurations. In one example of a typical slicing device, the blade is fixed to the frame. The foodstuff is sliced by moving the foodstuff over or under an exposed element of the blade.
Users may encounter difficulty when there is a small amount of foodstuff between their hand and the blade. It is not uncommon for a person to injure himself or herself while trying to cut small pieces of foodstuff with this type of device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,166 discloses a kitchen or domestic food slicer having a flat bed surface over which the food is moved and a knife mounted essentially across that surface. The knife alone being pivotably mounted such that its sharp leading edge can be raised or lowered relative the bed surface to vary the thickness of cut. The pivoting of the knife is achieved by cam surfaces on a pair of bars one positioned either side of the bed surface, the bars being slidable lengthwise by a rotatable knob and the cam surfaces including inclined portions to cause pivoting of the knife as the bars slide longitudinally.
The prior art also discloses a slicing device where the knife is pivotably mounted to the frame. U.S. Pat. No. 4,054,994, for example, provides a fixture for attaching the knife to an existing breadboard. The front end of the knife is pivoted to the attachment so that the knife may be pivotably swung for chopping foodstuff. In another arrangement the knife is provided with a longitudinally extending slot at the forward end so that the knife may be guided and moved longitudinally for slicing food and the like.
The prior art also discloses a knife-like device with parallel blades for chopping food. The blades may be pivotably attached to the frame and coupled together to move in parallel to each other. As will be evident to one of skill in the art, the inability to move the pivot axis with respect to the frame will constrain the knife edge to move along a fixed slicing path and will likely limit the size of foodstuff that can be sliced using such an arrangement.
In another example of a typical slicing device, the blade is slidably mounted on the frame. In this slicing device the foodstuff is placed on the frame in a generally fixed position. The foodstuff is cut by manually or automatedly moving or sliding the blade passed the foodstuff. As the foodstuff is cut, it is moved by hand or automatedly toward the moving blade so that the slicing process may continue until the foodstuff is completely sliced. The disadvantage of these types of slicing devices is that they are typically large and require a convenient source of energy.
In yet another typical slicing device the blade is pivotally coupled to the frame or base. A handle is coupled to a free end of the blade to permit a hand of a user to manually operate the blade. The foodstuff is cut by positioning the foodstuff on the base below the blade. A user slices the foodstuff by moving the blade downward toward the base. This slicing device typically includes a plurality of blades that permit a user to make multiple slices at a single time. However, the blade is generally fixed in a single location.
With the blade fixed in a single location, the size of the foodstuff that can be sliced is limited to the amount of space between the blade and the base. It is also difficult to slice the foodstuff when the blade is disposed generally perpendicular to the base. With the blade in this particular position it begins to slice the foodstuff at a generally ninety-degree angle to the base. At this angle the foodstuff has a tendency to move away from the blade.
In U.S. Pat. No. 717,223, the adjustable slicing device attempts to solve the problem of the positioning of the blade when it makes its initial slice by slidably coupling the blade or blades to a post mounted perpendicular to the base. This slicing device has the drawbacks of the size of the foodstuff that can be sliced and the slicing device cannot be effectively used to slice hard foodstuffs such as squash.